When I returned to the bus Ami was waiting for me.

''What in the world were you doing?'' She asked. Apparently she had been concerned.

''I...was...'' I thought for a moment. ''I...had to...get away...from...all this talk about...you know...'' And that was the truth.

''Oh...I understand.'' Ami said. ''Come over here and sit down...look what Kaz made for us!''

I sat down at the table with Ami. There was a slice of chocolate cake with whipped cream on it.

Ami cut it in half. I ended up with the half that had the least whipped cream.

''Ami!'' I said angrily. ''Don't you remember?''

''Remember what?'' Ami said with her mouth full.

''We add it all up and divide it in two!''

''Huh?''

''That's...that's our rule...right?''

''Yes...'' Ami said,taking another bite of cake.

''Then why do you always have to get the good part?'' I asked.

''Well,Yumi,'' Ami said, ''I'm older than you.''

''Only by a year and a half!'' I said angrily.

''Whatever...''

That night,before I went to bed,I was organizing the things in my closet. I noticed something that I had nearly forgotten...my old shamisen. (A/N: A shamisen is a Japanese lute) It was still in good shape,it was a bit dirty, but at least it wasn't broken.

I brushed off some of the dust and cobwebs and tried to play it. It still sounded fine,old as it was. It was a family heirloom,you see.

I put it with my favorite guitar (which I sometimes like to call ''Gita-san''). It would be safe there.

I sat on the bed. Jang Keng came up to me,purring. I petted her and she purred louder.

I laid back on the bed,still petting Jang Keng,but deep in thought.

''These are all yours?'' I asked Mother as I looked at the beautiful kimonos in the closet---the sort of kimonos you'd see a geisha wear.

''They were your grandmother's,'' She said, ''But when you're bigger you can wear them too.'' Then she dug something else out of the closet.

''What is that?'' I asked.

''It is a shamisen.'' Mother said. ''This belonged to your grandmother,too.'' She handed it to me.

''What do you do with it?''

''Why...you make lovely music with it!''

Music! I started to play it,and I loved it.

''Be careful with that,'' Mother said. ''It's very old.''

''Okay!'' I ran to go show it to Buyo,but first... ''Domo Arigato,Mother!'' I said,hugging her,and with that I left.

I played my new (well..not-so-new) shamisen often,but one day,when I was walking around the neighborhood with Mother,things changed somewhat.

I looked into the window of a store and saw a fancy guitar. My eyes were fixed on it for a while,but then Mother called for me and I ran to her.

After a little while I asked, ''Mother...can I have a guitar?''

Mother seemed bewilded. ''A guitar? You already have a shamisen.''

''But that thing is old! I want a NEW musical instrument to play!''

''Well...'' Mother thought this over, ''maybe when you're older.''

Well...it seemed I had something wonderful to look forward to. When I went to sleep that night,I dreamt of playing that fancy guitar and having great adventures.

I got up off of the bed. I looked at old ''Gita-san'',the guitar Mother had promised and gave to me a year later. (I was six when she gave me the shamisen.)

Then I looked at the old family heirloom. There was absolutely no way I'd go up onstage with THAT thing. But that doesn't mean I hate it.

Speaking of going up onstage...

''Yumi!'' Ami said,coming into my room. ''Kaz tricked us!''

''How?'' I asked.

''I was talking with him before I went to bed,and he said that this 'vacation' here in Osaka is really part of the tour!''

''I thought the tour was finished!'' I said,somewhat angrily.

''I did too,'' Ami said, ''but...GAH! Kaz just doesn't know when to quit,does he?''

''Now,now Ami...settle down for a minute...hopefully this is the last show of the tour...why don't you go ask Kaz?''

''He's in bed. I'll have to ask him tommorow.''

''Yeah...'' I got back into bed,''well,good night,Ami.''

''Good night.'' Ami left.

I went to sleep mulling all this over.

A/N: Heh heh heh heh ain't ol' Kazzie just evil! We'll have to wait and see what happens at the concert...stay tuned!

Until then,please review and do make haste,flame me and my wrath,you will taste!

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